Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium to host regular rugby league

Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium to host regular rugby league

The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium will host regular professional rugby league after the university entered into a partnership with North Wales Crusaders.

The club has announced that it has been accepted to play in the Cooperative Championship One division next season.

It follows a campaign by over 5,000 fans and 300 local businesses to keep rugby league in Wrexham after the demise of the Crusaders Super League team in July 2011.

All Crusaders home games will be played at the Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium.

The university is now supporting both professional rugby league and professional football in the town, after it purchased the stadium earlier this year.

Dr Allan Howells, Pro Vice-Chancellor at Glyndŵr University, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Crusaders will be playing rugby league again next season.

“It’s a great day for the people of Wrexham and north east Wales and the community and rugby league fans here. We are really pleased that we can work together in partnership with the Crusaders – partnership is very much what the university is about and how we work to support the region.”

Businesses and supporters tabled a bid for a new rugby league club in Wrexham earlier this year. The board of the new club will be made up of prominent local solicitors, accountants and businessmen – along with representatives of the Crusaders Supporters Club.

Jamie Roberts, acting chief executive of the North Wales Crusaders, said: “I look forward to our partnership with Glyndŵr University being a long and successful one.

“We see Glyndŵr University as the key partner for the Crusaders moving forward. We have an agreement in place for the team to play home matches at the stadium but we will be working together with the university beyond this, on community and educational partnerships.”

Chris Jones, chairman of Crusaders Supporters Club, said: “We’re absolutely over the moon. At one stage the future was looking really doubtful and to have come from the massive low of dropping out of the Super League to the high of saving the club from extinction is brilliant news.”

Mr Roberts indicated at a press conference on Friday that season tickets for the Crusaders next season will cost £90, with individual match tickets priced from £10-£15.